The Christmas Present
by Cats070911
Summary: Barbara is working over Christmas as usual and Tommy has gone to Howenstowe. She waits for his usual text and discovers this year will be different to those of the past.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **all usual disclaimers apply.

Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah / Season's Greetings to everyone in the ILM FF community across the globe. Irrespective of your beliefs I hope this time of year is a time of peace, love and family for you.

Since April I have written 38 stories totalling over 340,000 words about our two friends. Authors write primarily for their own reasons but it is also rewarding to know my stories bring pleasure to others. So thank you all for reading and for your encouraging comments throughout the year especially jan danek 10, Tess 45, LewisHobsonFan and TheaMcK who have commented on almost every chapter I have written and although I have never met them, we have become friends.

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><p>Detective Seargent Barbara Havers rubbed her eyes and yawned. It had been a long boring shift and she still had fifteen minutes before she could escape and go home. Being Christmas Eve there had been the usual tally of drunken idiots before three in the morning but since then she had been sitting at her desk daydreaming. She had nominated to work over Christmas so that her colleagues could spend time with their families. She had hoped for dayshift but had been given nights. She had done three nights in a row and now did not have to come back until the twenty-ninth. Four days and nights to sit around staring at the walls of her flat. It almost defeated the purpose of volunteering. At least she could sleep through most of Christmas Day.<p>

She tried hard not to wonder about Tommy. He had left three days ago for his estate at Cornwall and would be back in time for New Year. He had pestered her for weeks about going with him but she had steadfastly refused claiming it was a time for family. She knew he viewed her as family in a way. He treated her almost as a sister. Yet she still did not think it was right to impose on his family even though now she regretted that decision.

She finished her shift promptly at seven and headed for the Tube. A train came just as she walked onto the platform and by half past seven she was unlocking her flat. She took a slug from the milk bottle then made herself a brew of tea. She glanced at her phone. Tommy would text her at exactly eight o'clock with his customary Christmas wishes. He did it every year, even when she went to Howenstowe with him last year. She had gone as support. He had not wanted to face the family alone after the trauma of Helen's death and his rather self-pitying reaction to it. It had gone well but this year she thought she would be more of an intrusion than a distraction.

Barbara was tired and wanted to shower. She was tempted to shower anyway then text him back after she finished but he would not understand. There was a ritual and it needed to be observed. He texted at exactly eight and she replied instantly. With a minute to go Barbara took her phone and flopped onto her couch to wait. She was excited to hear from him. She had missed him the last few days even though they had exchanged a few texts.

The hour ticked over and she looked at her screen in anticipation. Nothing flashed or beeped. A minute passed and then another. She began to frown and tried not to worry. It was only a silly coincidence perhaps that he was always on time. After five minutes she was not sure whether to text him or wait. At ten past she started to pace the room worried that he had fallen from his horse on his morning ride. An alternative might be that he had become depressed and was passed out drunk in his room. Then it struck her that perhaps he had become involved with one of his mother's guests and was sleeping naked next to a beautiful woman or worse still they were not asleep. She tried to push the images from her mind but the harder she tried the more vivid the woman's lithe body became. Barbara put her phone on the bench and went for her shower.

The warm water temporarily eased her mind and relaxed her body. She banished bad thoughts and assured herself that a text would be there waiting when she finished. It was false hope and her screen remained agonizingly blank. It was after eight thirty so she send him a cheery greeting. Nothing too over-the-top but warm and genuine. _Merry Xmas Sir. Hope u are having great time. _She waited but there was no reply. She took the phone to her room and placed it within easy reach on her bedside table. She had no reference point as to how to react. Should she be worried? Accepting? Angry? Sad? Or all of them? Most of all she felt alone and unloved. Her rock had vanished and to hide from that reality she tried to empty her mind and sleep.

It had just gone noon by the time her phone finally buzzed. The sound woke her and she snatched the phone from her table and hurriedly unlocked it. He was alive.

_Sorry forgot my charger and my phone was flat but I did think of you at eight. Merry Christmas Barbara. May all your Christmas's come at once._

She smiled with relief. It was not his usual greeting, in fact it was quite obscure but at least he had not forgotten her. It was odd that his phone had stayed charged until yesterday but she tried to dismiss the logic. He always had a charger in his glovebox that plugged into his cigarette lighter. Perhaps he had needed to drive around for a while to recharge it. That would have amused the locals.

She texted back. _Thx. I thought of u 2. Enjoy your break. CU _She knew that in the smartphone age he abhorred shortened texts and always typed his in full. She was still angry enough to want to send him the subtle message that she was annoyed, even if he had an excuse. Who forgets to pack their charger?

Further sleep would be futile so she quickly dressed and ran a comb through her hair. She was hungry but the cold supermarket chicken that she had in her fridge and the tinned fruit pudding could wait. Barbara grabbed her coat and headed to the pub. She had a choice of three but choose the one she normally went to with Tommy. She was disturbed that she needed to make that choice but she went anyway. The closer she could feel to him the better. She even persuaded the couple sitting in the booth that they normally used to move seats. He had scared her today and even the remotest possibility that he would not be around or that their relationship might change terrified her. She wrapped her hands around her pint glass to stop them from shaking and only moved them when her hot, salty chips and a slice of pudding smothered in brandy custard were unceremoniously slammed onto her table.

"Sure you don't want some Christmas dinner love?" the barmaid asked her.

"No thanks." She had ordered the pudding because she could only get a drink with a Christmas meal.

"Suit yerself."

Barbara started to savour the greasy flouriness of her chips. She felt her thigh buzz and pulled her phone from her pocket. Lynley had sent another text. _Where are you?_

It seemed an odd question but she replied straight away. _The pub._

_Which one?_

_Kings Head_

She waited watching the screen but no reply came. Tommy was behaving very oddly today but she liked that she was at least on his mind. She ate the rest of her chips quickly trying hard not to wish he was here with her or think about how much she missed him. It had been all she could think about last night. She had even sat in his office for a while to feel closer to him. Well this morning had brought her back to Earth with a thud. She sighed then took a series of sips from her beer.

She had no sooner set her empty glass down when the barmaid reappeared and put another two in front of her. Barbara looked up questioningly. "That posh bloke yer normally wit', he rang and ordered yer two." The barmaid walked away leaving Barbara puzzled. It was a sweet gesture but why would Tommy order her two drinks?

Barbara hefted her glass in a toast. "Cheers Tommy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Barbara."

The voice was soft and ethereal. Great, now she was hearing his voice as well! She had slipped badly these last weeks from her 'love him from afar' stance. She had to get over herself. "Oh Tommy, you don't know how much I miss you."

"I have a fair idea."

This time she spun around. Tommy was standing behind her looking slightly dishevelled. When she turned his face lit up into a grin that made her flush with pleasure. She wanted to stand and hug him and never let him go but that would be inappropriate. She had no idea why he was here but she was overjoyed to see him. She knew she was smiling foolishly. "Sir!"

Tommy slid into the booth and sat much closer than he normally did. "Merry Christmas Barbara. I missed you too." He kissed her quickly on the mouth. Tommy then picked up his glass and clinked it against hers before taking a sip.

Tommy had never greeted her like that before. He usually hugged her shoulders or rubbed her arm. She was stunned. It was quick enough to be a friendly greeting between friends but slightly longer than was usual for that. Barbara was unsure how to react. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Cornwall?"

"I thought that might be obvious," he replied, "I wanted to have Christmas lunch with you."

Before she could reply Tommy had signaled the barmaid. He ordered two turkey dinners and two puddings. Her original pudding was taken away. Tommy had wrinkled his nose at the skin that had formed on the custard and waved dismissively at it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't text you at eight. I was already on the the road and I couldn't get a signal until I was almost in the city. I think the cells were congested with holiday calls."

"I was worried Sir," she said honestly.

Tommy put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him. That was more normal and Barbara felt safe and back on familiar ground. "What happened to calling me Tommy?" That ground slipped from under her but he still had his arm around her.

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"But I've wanted to hear you call me Tommy for years."

Barbara was compelled to look up. His eyes were simmering with an emotion she had not seen before. She had no reference points with his or any other eyes but she fleetingly wondered, or maybe hoped, it was love. Tommy removed his arm and the moment passed.

Their meals arrived and they ate while she talked about how boring dealing with the drunks had been and he discussed how boring his family had been. As they finished their pudding Tommy told her why he was there. "I woke up this morning and the only thing I could look forward to was texting you. It made me realise," he said slowly, "that the only person I wanted to be with today was nearly three hundred miles away so I left Mother a note, jumped in the car and drove here. Can you imagine how disappointed I was when you didn't answer your door?"

"Yes," she replied, "I felt that way when you didn't text." She noticed he was going to try to apologise again and she raised her hand to stop him. He slipped his arm around her shoulder again. "But you're here now and that is far better than a text." That was the closest to a declaration of love she was prepared to risk. His eyes were brimming with that same look again and for a moment she hoped he was going to kiss her. He made no attempt to do so and she thought she was mistaken. He might be lonely but he had simply missed his friend, his best mate. She sighed.

"Come on," he said standing up and extending his hand to her to help her slide out of the booth. "It's a nice afternoon. Let's go for a walk."

Barbara did not object. Irrespective of his motives and intentions she was enjoying having him to herself at Christmas. There was no work and no family to interfere. Tommy led her to his car. "Short walk," she joked.

"It's a sunny day. I thought it might be pleasant to stroll along the embankment."

They chatted as he drove. He pulled into an exclusive hotel on The Strand and tossed his keys to the valet. He signed a chit then showed Barbara through the hotel and down the back stairs. Barbara tried hard not to look stunned or out of place but she noticed the glances of some of the staff they passed. Each of them nodded deferentially to Tommy and looked her up and down. She was obviously not his usual style of woman that he must take regularly. Even though she was with him now she felt a strange pang of jealousy.

They headed downriver and continued to chat about work and inconsequential things as they strolled. Tommy put his arm around her shoulders again. "This is a far better way to spend Christmas Day than with stuffy relatives."

"Your mother will be furious I suppose."

"Quite the opposite I hope when she reads my note," he said cryptically.

Barbara would never know where she found the courage but at the time it seemed the most natural thing in the world. She slipped her arm around his waist and hugged him closer. It was as if an electrical current passed between them. Tommy stopped talking mid-sentence and tilted his head to rest on hers. Silently they kept walking but their pace slowed to a stop. They turned and faced the river and stood for minutes arm in arm not saying anything that might break the spell. Tommy let go and in a smooth movement lifted Barbara and sat her on the cold stone of the wall so that their faces were level. His hands were resting lightly on her waist. They were staring at each other. She could tell he was searching for some clue but she did not know what he was looking for so she simply smiled at him. He smiled back then moved closer.

This time there was no confusing his kiss with a greeting but it was polite and seemed to be seeking permission. His lips barely moved, it was just a soft and affectionate application of pressure. She enjoyed just feeling connected to him but Barbara was not sure what to do. She wanted this but it frightened her and she sensed it also scared Tommy. She closed her eyes and responded tentatively holding herself back from eating him alive. His lips seemed to be trembling. This was a significant change in their relationship and so much was at stake if they got this wrong. It did not feel wrong. In fact nothing had never felt more right. Tommy was slowly gaining confidence and softly broke the connection then kissed her again in a flurry of tender butterfly kisses. She felt her inhibitions dissolving with each one but knew he was restraining himself waiting for a signal. She reached up and put her hands behind his neck. He kissed her more urgently. She ran her fingers up into his hair. Tommy groaned and his arms encircled her. He pulled away and nuzzled into her neck.

Barbara was worried that perhaps she had alarmed him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"What are we doing?"

Tommy pulled back and looked at her. "They call it kissing. It's something people who discover they care deeply for each other like to do. We do care deeply for each other don't we?"

Barbara knew he needed to know he was not pushing her into something she did not want. "We do."


	2. Chapter 2

Tommy smiled as he looked at her with that same expression that she was beginning to recognise as love. He kissed her again and this time it was not gentle and tentative but fierce and exciting. No one had ever kissed her like that and Barbara was lost in the sensuality of it. The feel of him pressed close sent shivers through her. His scent cocooned her in a secret world where her fantasies came to play. She could hear the birds in the trees singing and the hum of the traffic but above it all she could hear her heartbeat thumping in her ears. It was racing; getting faster and faster until she wondered if she could survive. He seemed to be massaging her top lip between his own and waves of pleasure created a tension deep inside that awakened parts of her that had laid dormant for years. Every fibre of her wanted him, ached for him. She dug her nails into his scalp and he groaned in a way that inflamed her more. She had had enough of the preliminaries. She opened her mouth and Tommy instantly responded. His hand was now behind her neck pulling her closer and removing any pathway to escape. Barbara did not care if he thought she was wanton. She wanted to taste him and to kiss him as deeply as she could. His tongue was startled to find an intruder and they wrestled for exploration rights until they could no longer breathe.

Panting Tommy nuzzled back into her shoulder and began to place a trail of kisses up her neck to her ear. He was mewling softly with delight and Barbara was briefly puzzled how he could groan with such obvious longing and mewl simultaneously. As he nibbled on her ear and the groaning changed to words she realised she had been the one groaning. "Oh God Tommy!"

Tommy lay his forehead on hers. "We had better stop. I don't want to but I can't imagine how we would be able to explain to Hillier that two of his officers were arrested for breaching public decency laws on Christmas Day!"

"I'm sorry. I, er, lost myself in the moment. Yes Hillier would have a fit to think we were standing here snogging."

"Don't use that term Barbara; I hate it. It demeans something quite beautiful. And don't ever be sorry for that kiss. It won't be our last and it may not be our best but it will always be our first and as first kisses go that was mind blowing."

Barbara blushed deeply. As any form of kiss it had been mind blowing for her. After years of longing and daydreaming about it he had finally kissed her. It had been nothing yet everything like she imagined. She had not foreseen that he would be able to possess her so thoroughly with just one kiss. "Should we head back?" she asked hopefully. She wanted to take him somewhere and finish what they had started.

"No," he said quietly, "let's finish our walk."

They walked for just over an hour; down the river to Tower Bridge and back towards the hotel. They spoke little but never broke physical contact. At first they walked arm in arm but in parts where the pathways narrowed under Blackfriars Bridge they started to hold hands. Tommy's grip was strong and yet soft. Barbara felt protected but also desired. It was as if Tommy was never going to let her go and she relished that feeling. In her mind it was inevitable that the night would end in one or other of their bedrooms. That prospect was both daunting and exhilarating. For years she had kept her desire and her love for Tommy tightly contained and secreted away from him or anyone. Now that he had kissed her it was slowly unfurling and expanding at exponential rates. She wanted to tell everyone that she passed. She wanted to shout it from the dome of St Paul's or stand in Trafalgar Square and hand out leaflets. She wanted Big Ben to peal just for them. She wanted to run and skip up the Embankment pathway like a six year old. She was happy, perhaps for the first time in years.

Tommy squeezed her hand reassuringly as if he sensed how she felt. She looked at him and saw the same contentment reflected in his eyes. She wondered if he had the same crazy thoughts. She smiled at him and was rewarded by his smile; the one that had always softened her heart but now made her heart race and her body prepare to devour him. They stopped at the steps leading to the hotel. Tommy kissed her again, deeply but very lovingly. His place was closer. She would insist he took her there.

Barbara expected him to ask the valet to retrieve his car. Instead he guided her to the old-fashioned lift discretely tucked into a recess of the foyer and keyed in a code. With surprising efficiency the lift whizzed them up to a floor with very few doors. Tommy walked confidently over to one of them and entered his code. "Come on," he said as he led her through the door.

The room was huge and had a large dining room table in a corner by large French doors that opened onto a terrace that overlooked the river. The rest of the room was dominated by a large brocaded lounge suite in the subtle greens and golds that highlighted up the subtle summery tones of the room. A huge display of flowers in Christmassy colours dominated a side table between two doors that led to other rooms.

"You obviously come here a lot," she said flatly wondering if this was some sort of secret lovenest. He fears and jealousies from earlier re-emerged. She was not sure whether to be horrified or flattered.

"I own it," he said watching her carefully, noticing her sudden coolness and trying to pick her reaction.

"What the suite?"

"No, the hotel."

"You're being sarcastic."

"No, actually. I do own the hotel. Oh, I see," he said smiling, "it's not what you think. This is the owner's suite. We usually rent it out but I rang this morning and it was vacant. I thought it might be perfect for tonight. And no, I've never brought anyone else here before, even Helen."

Barbara was ashamed of her assumption. He had made the effort to select somewhere neutral and luxurious and she had not trusted him. She hung her head. "I'm sorry."

Tommy came over and embraced her. He ran his hand up and down her back to comfort her. "Don't be but believe me this is not some sort of expensive seduction scene. I would never sell you that short Barbara. It was simply somewhere not tied down with memories of case files or underwear in cutlery drawers. Somewhere where we could relax and move from being Lynley and Havers the inseparable crime fighting duo into us, Tommy and Barbara and whatever that might become." Tommy kissed her with such tenderness that any doubts she had vanished. "I've been thinking about this all day,"

"Just this?" she quipped.

"Hmm, if I had thought of anything else I might have driven off the road." He smiled at her softly.

Barbara was not sure what he expected. It was obviously not to race her straight to bed. She looked around and wondered where the bed was in fact. She saw the amusement on his face. "There is a bedroom behind each door." When he noticed her frown he added, "I have no presumptions Barbara."

She considered that maybe she was appearing too easy. Maybe he was used to a harder chase but it was very hard to refuse him anything after that kiss by the river. He had awoken a sleeping beast and the kinder and more gentlemanly he was the more she struggled not to wrestle him to the ground and tear off his clothes. She looked at him and her face flushed a deep crimson. To distract herself she wandered over to smell the flowers. As he trailed behind her she noticed they were still holding hands. She was the first one to notice the two envelopes, one addressed to each of them. "They're from your mother!"

Tommy was now clearly embarrassed and tried to take the envelopes from her. "We can read them later."

Barbara raised her eyebrow and proceeded to open her card and read the message aloud. "It says, 'Congratulations! Welcome to the family. I am so happy for you both. My son needs to be loved to the exclusion of others by someone as strong as you but he will reward you with a love that is eternal and pure.' Wow!"

Tommy groaned awkwardly under her gaze. Barbara opened the other envelope. "This one says 'At last you have seen it! Trust Barbara and trust yourself. I know this is right and that with her you will finally find peace and true love.' What on earth did you say in your note to her this morning?"

Tommy squirmed under her gaze. "I outlined my intentions. Trust her to get involved and spoil everything." He stormed into one of the rooms. Barbara followed him. A tuxedo hung over the valet stand and Tommy searched a pocket until he found what he wanted. He turned and faced her then guided her back to the main room.

"Tommy?"

"In a way this was a seduction scene," he said, "I've ordered a special dinner for seven thirty and I was going to dress up in my suit and ask you to marry me. I had my speech prepared that covered all your likely objections. I wanted everything to be perfect so that you would say yes."

Barbara was stunned by his confession but saw the pain on his face. This had been important to him. She thought about his mother's note and understood what she meant about loving him to the exclusion of others. She smiled broadly. "Yes."

"But I haven't asked you yet."

"Yes you did and I accepted. When you lifted me onto the wall and first kissed me. You were asking me to commit to you forever. If we stopped then we could stay friends but we knew then what we were agreeing to by continuing and what the implications might be. I'm not afraid of it any more Tommy. I want to wake up beside you every day for the rest of my life and although that comes at a price it is one I will happily pay. Now stop staring at me and kiss me before I change my mind."

Tommy obliged. It was the most perfect moment she could imagine until she imagined one more. Tommy's thoughts must have synchronized with hers and they spun around as they kissed furiously, unconsciously heading for the bedroom.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked.

"I was from the moment you appeared as my Christmas present in the pub."

"I was holding back," he panted between kisses, "until you had agreed to be my wife. I didn't want you to think it was just lust."

"Lust is good," she said tugging at his shirt.

Tommy stopped again. "Wait."

Barbara was beginning to think they might spend the rest of their lives waiting. Tommy sank to his knee and held up the box he had retrieved from his suit. "Barbara, this was the eternity ring the Sixth Earl, my grandfather, had made for my grandmother. I know it is not a traditional engagement ring but they loved each other very much and I thought the idea of eternal love was perfect for us. Something that existed before we knew it and will last long after us. I know it's taken me too long to tell you but I love you so much Barbara."

Barbara was unable to speak and simply nodded as he slipped it on her finger. Tommy stood and kissed the tears from her eyes. "I love you too Tommy Lynley; you are the most sentimentally romantic man on the planet. Promise me it will always be that way."

"It will," he said with a glint in his eye as he kicked the bedroom door shut with his foot. "Now let me show you just how romantic I can be."

"And make all my Christmases come at once?" she asked wickedly.

Tommy laughed. "All _our _Christmases," he corrected before he kissed her as they tumbled onto the bed.


End file.
